Alexander the Great and the Mystery of the Elephant Medallions (Volume 44)

Hellenistic Culture and Society

by Frank L. Holt

To all those who witnessed his extraordinary conquests, from Albania to India, Alexander the Great appeared invincible. How Alexander himself promoted this appearance—how he abetted the belief that he enjoyed divine favor and commanded even the forces of nature against his enemies—is the subject of Frank L. Holt's absorbing book.

Solid evidence for the "supernaturalized" Alexander lies in a rare series of medallions that depict the triumphant young king at war against the elephants, archers, and chariots of Rajah Porus of India at the Battle of the Hydaspes River. Recovered from Afghanistan and Iraq in sensational and sometimes perilous circumstances, these ancient artifacts have long animated the modern historical debate about Alexander. Holt's book, the first devoted to the mystery of these ancient medallions, takes us into the history of their discovery and interpretation, into the knowable facts of their manufacture and meaning, and, ultimately, into the king's own psyche and his frightening theology of war. The result is a valuable analysis of Alexander history and myth, a vivid account of numismatics, and a spellbinding look into the age-old mechanics of megalomania.

Genres: History, Greece, Numismatics

217 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Frank Lee Holt is a Central Asian archaeologist and author. He is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Houston, and is recognized as one of the leading authorities on Alexander the Great, Hellenistic Asia, and numismatics. Holt received his PhD in History from the University of Virginia.

Holt has written five books and almost fifty articles, primarily concerning Alexander the Great and the Hellenization of Afghanistan.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first received this book as a gift upon professing my desire to study history in graduate school. The intent was to discourage me by showing me how esoteric and dull the job of a professional historian truly is. Instead, I was invigorated; although the topic of this work lies outside of my field of study, it became not only one of the rare books that I could not put down, but one that I would go on to talk about for a long time thereafter. That first reading was over half a decade ago and, with so many things going through my head over the course of those years, I eventually forgot not only the details of the book, but the author’s conclusion. All the stuck with me was that I had enjoyed it, thoroughly. Acknowledging that I could never recapture my original excitement, I decided recently to re-read this work. I was not disappointed.

Let me be clear: the vast majority of people would probably not enjoy this book. While Holt goes to impressive lengths to make the book accessible to the average reader, it is, in the end, a scholarly work. While his prose is engaging, even dynamic at times, it still insists on depth and academic rigor. It is not meant to be flashy and the ending does not “pop” (in my opinion) or contain a magical “aha!” moment that solves the mystery. Instead, the book provides the satisfying conclusion based on the difficult work that precedes it and Holt’s excellent analysis make it seem so natural that it is all but inescapable. My point is that this is a work that will appeal to scholars and historians. It is not the sort of “exciting” history that one might find on a television program or the “popular history” section of a bookstore. It should be required reading for everyone thinking of entering a graduate program in history: if you cannot enjoy something like this, then you will not enjoy being a historian, for this is as engaging and interesting as the real, academic study of history gets.

As for the content of the book, I don’t want to give away too much, but Holt produces an excellent narrative that draws the reader into the historical process and carries them through the journey. He begins with no assumptions: the first chapters introduce Alexander, his campaigns, and the field of numismatics in a style that is neither patronizing nor obtuse. He then goes on to the work’s equivalent of a literature review, outlining the development of theories on the medallions while highlighting their flaws and any relevant criticisms. He then raises the main issue with all of the theories, which is that they all rest on particular “preconceived notions”. He then challenges us to abandon these, question everything we have just read about the medallions, and re-examine them by taking nothing for granted. He guides us through this process with impeccable finesse, with an analysis so careful that we feel that we’re in the room with him, gazing upon the artifacts. By the end you feel as if you’ve studied the dilemma as objectively as possible and come to the only possible conclusion.

No matter what field of history they pursue, I would recommend this book to anyone with an academic-level interest in history. It is short and enjoyable and may even remind you why you became interested in the discipline. Those who appreciate a solid, scholarly text will no doubt find this a refreshing drop in a sea of dull studies.

[Ricky Patten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis Whilst others aspired to greatness, Alexander aspired to greatestness. As told by a handful of coins.

Title Alexander the great and the mystery of the elephant medallions
Author Frank L Holt
Categories Archaeology, history, and numismatics.
Date 2003.
Pages 160 pages of slightly oversized paperback.
Readability Advanced reading capabilities required. Difficult concepts, long passages, and elaborate details requiring focus and concentration.
Cover The cover features a famous painting by Charles Le Brun entitled Alexander and Porus.

I remember being in Readings, a well known bookshop in Melbourne, musing through the titles on the shelf and picking this one out. What inspired me to purchase it I can not say. The allure of Alexander, every little boys hero ... or was it the elephants? It has taken me a long time to read the book and it shows the passage of time with yellowing of the pages and stiffening of the spine. When finally read this little gem fascinated me.

First off you need to know this book is about coins and medallions, which is officially called numismatics. The topic has to be also termed archaeological, describing events from 340BC, over two and a half thousand years ago.

Although it would be possible to sum up what this book is about in a couple of pages, Holt has woven an enchanting tale taking into account many aspects of this period of history, from a summarised history of Alexander's conquests, religion, politics, culture, civilisation, anthropology, military equipment, and more. I enjoyed Alexander the great and the mystery of the elephant medallions as it recapped/expanded my knowledge of Alexander's conquests, and painted an intriguing picture of how and why a special commemorative range of medallions were minted to celebrate one of histories most significant events.

Who should read Title? Anyone with a specific interest in numismatics, archaeology, and/or Alexander the Great.

Who should not read Title? Beginner level readers or anyone not particularly interested in the main topics.

Recommendation Great read for the adventurous; discover how Alexander met the challenge of India, on the very edge of known civilisation, brilliantly and triumphed with his ego and genius unscathed.

[TTocs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really all that interesting. Kind of self evident from the start what the medallion was struck of so mystery feel like a reach. some interesting tidbits on the change in regard that Alexander the great is held in over time. He was to the east sort of like Attila the Hun coming west, the scourge of god.

[Charlie Huenemann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book focuses on a set of ancient coins or medallions depicting war elephants and a god-like warrior. Holt carefully examines all the cases that have been made concerning their meaning and origin and builds a clear and compelling case for his own interpretation. The book is sold under the premise of being a mystery or detective story, but there is no surprise: what seem to be depictions of Alexander the Great's encounter with the Indian king Porus turn out to be exactly that. Still, it is a fun and fascinating read and a good exercise in logic. Along the way we learn a bit about numismatics and more about the world of Alexander.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holt manages the extremely difficult task of combining first-rate scholarship with accessible readability and makes it look so easy. This book takes a single numismatic mystery and spins an epic tale of scholarship which should be of interest to Hellenists, coin-lovers, and general readers alike. And although by the end Holt uses technical terms freely, the reader has become gradually comfortable within this discourse and shakes it off without difficulty. If you love coins, Alexander, or the history of scholarship, don't miss this one.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as exciting as my professor made it out to be. I guess he was excited since HE wrote it! :)
Though I didn't enjoy the book very much, I LOVED Frank Holt as a professor. He was probably one of the THE best college profs I ever had.

[Shanah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a little difficult to get through unless the reader is extremely interested in coin collecting.
Fascinating subjects of history, but the coin collecting terminology turned me off. I might try to read this again another time.